


Survive

by cora_thecat



Category: Brave (2012), How to Train Your Dragon (Movies), Rise of the Guardians (2012), Tangled (2010)
Genre: F/M, Jackunzel - Freeform, Mericcup, Non/Disney, Rise of the Tangled Brave Dragons, the big four
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-03
Updated: 2021-02-02
Packaged: 2021-02-28 22:40:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 19,074
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23454937
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cora_thecat/pseuds/cora_thecat
Summary: The end of the world is already here. The cause of this apocalypse is a cruel virus, which takes humanity from the infected and turns them into irrational creatures that kill without hesitation. And despite that, there are still those who have managed to resist the epidemic and the panic that devastated the planet. This is the case of Jack, Hiccup, Merida and Rapunzel, who with an unusual and unconventional alliance, will do what they can to survive this chaos and, who knows, come out unscathed in the end. But is that even possible?
Relationships: Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III/Merida (Disney), Jack Frost (Guardians of Childhood)/Rapunzel (Disney)
Comments: 10
Kudos: 19





	1. Homeless

**Author's Note:**

> My first The Big Four fanfiction is apocalypse themed! I hope it's flowing through a nice path and that you like it :D I have many plans for it and, if all goes well, it may go far. Well, if there is an incentive, for sure! hehe Good reading!

**_THEN_ **

_New Castle, Indiana, USA_

"...found the first traces of Rabiamorbus in Brownsburg. The authorities have already spoken out and asked citizens to avoid leaving their homes and to do so only when necessary. Police chief Juan Mendez announced that all individuals circulating after ten will be taken to the nearest police station for testing. If the situation worsens, the area will become a quarantine zone, as it did in Pittsboro a week ago. Now, the world news. Scottish scientists believe..."

Jack turned off the television before his sister could see anything else.

"I wanted to watch," protested Emma.

"That's not for children. Also, you need to take a shower before going to bed, or have you forgotten?" Jack replied helping the girl to get up from the carpet.

"Jack, just a little more... It could be another channel..."

"No, ma'am. To the bath, go, or I'll count down and you know what happens at zero..."

"No tickle monster, please!" Emma pleaded, placing her hands on her stomach, her weakest point.

"Then you better run," Jack said, waving down the hall.

Without further questioning, Emma ran to the bathroom. As soon as he heard the sound of the door slamming, Jack sighed and threw himself on the sofa.

"Shit," he cursed, massaging his temple.

If those news were true, it was only a matter of two weeks at the latest before the virus reached Indianopolis, and then New Castle wouldn't stand a chance. They needed to get out of there and fast, but how would they do that? His mother was never at home and Jack wouldn't have the courage to leave her behind. She was quite reluctant to leave.

"Are you crazy, kid? This thing will never reach New Castle, just forget that once and for all."

"Mom, we can't risk it, we need to go east, things are still calmer there and..."

"I don't wanna hear it anymore, Jack. Enough, got it?" She put the cigarette between her lips and lit it with a match. She took a drag and then exhaled the smoke. "So, how much do you have there? I'm going out tonight."

It was useless to expect something rational from his mother. Damn, could she get out of her own world and notice the seriousness of the situation? Many families had already left the city, moreover, he noticed how almost nobody else was going to school those days. The virus was just a few weeks away from reaching them and he didn't want to be there to see it.

A few minutes later, Emma reappeared and asked him to put her to bed.

"Aren't you too big for this?" Jack raised an eyebrow at her, but he was smiling.

"Come on, Jack, just today..."

"That's what you said yesterday."

"Please, I don't want to be alone."

And could he ever deny her anything? _No, that must be impossible_ , he thought to himself, standing up and escorting Emma to her room.

Emma slipped quickly under the sheets and watched her brother go to the edge of the bed. Jack found the expression on her face curious.

"What's up?"

"Is that true? That disease is close to us?"

Jack gave her a reassuring smile, moving her bangs away from her face.

"Don't worry about it, Emma. I will never let anything bad happen to you."

She was silent for a few moments, looking at her feet under the sheets. Then she looked up at her brother again.

"Jack, can you promise me something?"

"Say it."

"Promise you won't get sick too? That you won't die?"

Not dying? Ever? It was a promise of inevitable failure, he couldn't ignore that, but for Emma, he'd do what he could to keep his word for as long as he could.

"Promise. But now try to sleep, okay?"

She nodded, satisfied, turning the other way.

"Good night, Jack," she whispered.

"Good night, Emma." He turned off the lamp and left, closing the door.

* * *

_**NOW** _

_Ashland Region, Ohio_

The summer was unbearable and the asphalt only made the situation worse, reflecting the heat waves. Jack took a moment to wipe the sweat off his forehead and get his water bottle.

"Hey, hey, take it easy, man," Hiccup said. "We don't have much water left, you know."

"How long did you say we needed to get to Ashland?" Jack asked, stopping drinking.

"Half an hour at most. I mean, if we don't find any undead on the way."

"I don't think we will. But just in case, keep the knife at hand."

Hiccup nodded and whistled for his dog Toothless to accompany him. Jack took a deep breath and started walking again.

They had been like that for at least two weeks now, wandering from town to town, looking for a good place to settle. Their shelter in Delaware had been invaded by the zombies and left them like most other survivors, that is, homeless. _That base had lasted six fucking months!_ There, they knew the main sources of supplies and the safe places to roam about. The city had been evacuated before the virus arrived, so few undead ventured into those parts. Until, of course, a group of stupid looters attracted attention to that region. It didn't take long and a horde of zombies had plagued the city.

But there was no use complaining now, even though temptation was great. Besides, someone had to keep their spirits up there, because if he solely relied on Hiccup's extreme levelheadedness, Jack would be depressed already.

Now they were able to see the first signs of civilization on the horizon, the subtle outline of buildings and other constructions rising from the ground. Hiccup laughed at Jack, as if to say, "Told you!"

However, now came the tricky part. Although the deserted entrance to the city gave the impression of being harmless, one could never be sure that the situation inside was peaceful. They had to be cautious.

"What do we need?" Jack asked in a low tone as they entered the city. "I think that, besides water, canned food is almost over."

"Let me see it here." Hiccup knelt on the floor, placing his backpack on a dusty bench. "Um... We have one, two... three liters of water, which should be enough for today and tomorrow morning if we save. Two cans of tuna, one of beans and the rest of those raisins. So, basically, we need to get food or we won't even live to be zombie lunch."

Jack took a brief look around.

"I think there's a gas station over there, can you see it?" he pointed away.

Hiccup narrowed his eyes, forcing his sight a bit.

"I think so, but don't you think it's a little risky? Maybe it's better to break into a building and search some apartments."

"To be stuck like last time? No freaking way. Do you even know how much it hurts to fall from the height of three floors? It's a goddamn miracle we didn't die."

"Yeah, if that awning wasn't there ... My knee still aches now and then."

"So it's better to check the station. Come on, let's go."

The gas station was as empty as any other corner they had seen so far. The automatic doors of the small gas station store were not working, so they forced them to enter.

"There're some cool things here," said Hiccup, rummaging through the shelves at the back of the store. "How long has it been since you eaten... fried chicken flavored chips?"

"A whole century. Should we even take these things?" Jack asked, looking for drinks in the abandoned refrigerator.

"What do you think? Of course not, everything's already spoiled!" Hiccup tossed a pack of chips Jack's direction, which he dodged just in time.

"Son of a bitch," Jack laughed.

Suddenly Toothless started to growl. The two boys were immediately quiet, wary to any possible sound. Minutes passed, however, nothing was heard.

Calmly, Hiccup bent down and stroked his dog's head.

"Don't worry, buddy. There's nothing here."

Gradually, they resumed their task of seeking supplies, albeit alert.

"I hate that," said Hiccup, putting a few food items in his bag in order.

"I also hate this dehydrated apple thing, but it's not like we have a menu with too many options."

Hiccup shook his head.

"What I mean is that I hate not being able to relax for two minutes without hearing a stupid noise that could mean my certain death. I mean, can you remember what it was like? Sitting in front of the computer without worrying about anything?"

"Not really. I don't think I ever did that."

"Serious? Even before?"

"I had a lot to do at that time and when I could stop and sit, I never actually relaxed. I always had a thousand things on my mind."

"Well, it couldn't be worse than this."

Suddenly, they heard the sound of metal objects falling, an insistent clink that sent shivers down their spines.

"Holy shit!"

A zombie with fluids coming out of every hole in its face knocked down the old employee access door, bursting into the store like a predator looking for prey.

"Shit, it was too calm... Hold it." Jack passed the backpack to his friend and took only the baseball bat from the side. "I'll take care of that bastard."

Without hesitating, Jack went after the undead body, charging hard against the creature's side. The zombie staggered, as if losing its balance, but still tried to attack the boy, managing to grab him by the arm.

"Fuck!"

Jack pushed the dead man against the shelves and managed to free himself.

"I don't have time for this shit." The boy adjusted the bat in his hands and hit the zombie's skull with enough effort to drop it to the ground. He continued to bang until it was possible to see the walking corpse's brains.

"Ugh, it's done, Jack. He won't be getting up anymore" Hiccup said, a little disgusted. No matter how many times it happened, seeing brain scraps scattered everywhere would never be pleasant. "Let's get out of here."

As soon as they took everything that could be of use, they started to decide which way to go.

"We still have about five hours until dark, but I think we shouldn't go much further. I believe we should find a safe place to spend the night."

"Apart from that friend of ours, there doesn't seem to be anyone around, I dare even say that we can choose at will."

"Don't get carried away, Jack. We're not sure about that. Let's be careful and..."

"Hey, weren't you the one who wanted to relax? So chill, man. When did my instincts get us into some shit?"

"Do you want just an example or the complete list?"

"Shut up, Hiccup."

In the end, they broke into an abandoned house that must had belonged to a well-off family in the past.

"The blue house at the corner seemed safer... If a lot of zombies show up here we will be trapped in this street that, if you didn't notice, results in a dead end."

"But this one is much bigger and there is always a backdoor. These guys sure were full of money... Just take a look at that couch, I could sleep my whole life in that beauty. And we've only met a zombie so far, so just pick a damn room and feel fucking at home."

Jack must be right this time. Perhaps it was just like in Delaware, they may have evacuated the city before the virus arrived. And there was no sign of any looters, military personnel or groups of survivors in the vicinity. _Perhaps we are really alone_ , thought Hiccup, going up the stairs and entering the room that must had belonged to a couple.

He didn't hesitate for a moment to throw himself on the bed and, damn, how long had it been since he laid on such a comfortable surface?

"Okay, good one, Jack," he said it aloud so that his friend could hear downstairs, Toothless settling beside him.

"I'm brilliant, deal with it," he heard Jack reply.

Conceited bastard.

Before he knew it, his eyelids started to close and he was soundly asleep.

* * *

"Hiccup, get up. Damn it, Hiccup, play sleeping beauty later, wake up now!"

Hiccup needed a few more moments to get out of the almost utopian world of dreams and remember his reality.

"What is it, Jack?" He looked at the window and noticed that it was dark outside. "Shoot, how long did I sleep?"

"About three hours."

"Why didn't you wake me sooner?"

"Because I didn't think there was any need, but... I found something."

"Something? What exactly?"

"Come with me." Jack walked out the door without saying anything else.

He took Hiccup up to the attic and what he saw made his jaw almost drop.

"What the...? I can't believe..."

There was a wall full of weapons, from rifles to machine guns, there were even some grenades and machetes.

"Say it, I did pretty well this time," Jack said, waiting for the applause.

However, Hiccup did not seem at all enthusiastic about the novelty, in fact, he even looked a little pale. Jack didn't get it.

"I thought you were gonna be bowing down before me by now."

Hiccup started to murmur something that Jack couldn't hear. Getting impatient, he shook his friend by the shoulder.

"Did you go into shock? What's up man?"

"..anm ... damn ... Damn ... Damn it, Jack, damn it ..."

"Hiccup, what are you ...?"

Hiccup turned wide-eyed to his friend.

"Don't you understand? We have to get out of here now!"

"Why? This doesn't make any sense."

"Why?! I tell you why... These weapons can only be there for two reasons. First, someone uses this house to stock up on weapons and will be back soon. When we walked in, I didn't even notice, but it's strange that the house was locked, the last thing anyone would think of when they're fleeing a place is to lock the place when they're not even sure that they'll have a chance to return. There's simply no logic."

"And what is the other reason?"

"The other reason... is that the owners never left the house. I mean, did you get to check the basement?"

Only now Jack realized what was going on, gradually becoming whiter.

"Shit."

No matter what the right alternative was, the best solution would be to leave the place.

"Take whatever you want and do not open any door that you haven't opened before, we will go out through the backdoor."

Then, they started to hurry to collect their belongings and not make any more noise, in case it was the second option. When preparations were almost done, a white light from outside invaded the room through the crack of the curtains. It was a car and it was parking in front of the house.

"Unless zombies know how to drive, I think we now know what this place is," Jack whispered, heading for the kitchen exit door.

"Jack, no!" Hiccup whispered back."Too late! Let's hide."

His friend was right. Jack squeezed between the refrigerator and the wall right next to the passage between the living room and the kitchen. Hiccup went under the table with Toothless.

"Were you bitten, Hiccup? Are you going insane?" Jack clearly doubted the efficiency of his friend's hiding place.

"Stay quiet!"

And not a second later, the entrance door was opened.

"You didn't lock this up?" A voice asked.

"Shit, I must have forgotten. Don't tell Drago."

"Damn it, no one comes here. Is there anything to eat at this shithole?"

 _They are idiots_ , concluded Hiccup, slightly relieved. It didn't take a genius to detect signs of break-in. Maybe they would come out of this alive, after all. He saw Jack preparing to fire the pistol as soon as one of the guys entered the kitchen.

"No, Jack!" Whispered Hiccup. "I have a plan, Jack ... Jack?"

But there was something strange about his friend, as if at that moment he was someone else. Hiccup didn't like that at all. They never had to kill any living person during that time of partnership, they usually managed to avoid other humans, but now... Jack's eyes had an almost sadistic glow in the darkness of the kitchen.

When one of the men was about to enter the room, his companion called him.

"Hey, Wal, come upstairs. I found something up here."

Had they forgotten something...? _But what the hell am I thinking? This is our chance!_

Hiccup came out of hiding and pulled Jack with him.

"Come on, Jack, you're delaying us!"

When he turned the handle, he realized that door was also locked.

"That's just great."

_"It looks like... dog fur."_

As if he had woken up from a trance, Jack looked up when he heard the voices and footsteps.

"I'll have to break it down, it's our only chance."

"You'll give us away!"

The sound of footsteps intensified and went towards the stairs.

"I think they already know we're here."

With no more time to waste, Jack forced his shoulder against the door. Unsuccessfully.

"Please, Jack, take your time. And just to be clear, that was sarcasm! Can you speed things up?"

Jack threw himself against the door once again and it finally cracked. Then, with a kick, the door opened wide and allowed the night air into the house.

* * *

That one had been close, but so close that they only managed to stop running when they left the city limits. Too tired to do anything and unable to push the luck of not bumping into humans and zombies on the way, the two made an impromptu camp in the nearby forest.

"We are breaking the rule of not camping in..."

"I know it, Hiccup. But we need some goddamn rest right now. I'll cover the first watch shift."

Two hours before dawn, they switched positions and Jack was able to get some rest.

Hiccup scratched his eyes to shake off sleep. _What a day_ , he thought, Toothless sleeping peacefully beside him. At least they had managed to replenish some of their supplies, perhaps enough to reach the next city.

Suddenly, the sound of a branch breaking echoed through the forest. Taking the dagger he had acquired a few hours ago, Hiccup decided to take a step further into the forest, considering that it was already dawn and he could see where he was going. He knew he didn't have the same chances or combat skills as Jack, but during that time having to make ends meet in a world dominated by zombies had made him learn a thing or two about fighting. He believed he was competent enough not to fall dead in the first minute or so.

With measured steps, Hiccup moved away from the camp and penetrated more and more into the forest. The faint rumor persisted, even though he wasn't sure where it came from.

 _Where are you, dead bastard?_ Hiccup adjusted the weapon in his hand, aware of his surroundings.

That's when something he didn't expect happened.

"Move a muscle and you're dead," a female voice warned him.

Then, an arrow from behind him flew millimeters from his ear and buried itself in the skull of an infected corpse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A female voice and an arrow? Who could that be? Haha okay, it's quite obvious, but I cut it there just to cause tension! Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it so far! I know it can have a little dirty language and if the scenes of violence are, well, excessive, let me know that I can reduce the "bloodshed"... But it is worth remembering that it's a zombie apocalypse story, so that kind of thing is a little necessary. Please don't forget to tell me what you think!


	2. Merida

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys meet Merida, but things don't go as well as expected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, so you'll have to read Merida with her accent, 'cause I really don't how to write it, I'll admit (since English is not my native language, it's understandable, I guess). That said, well, enjoy!

**_Ashland, Ohio Region_ **

It took some time for Hiccup to realize that he was holding his breath, which only happened when oxygen started to be lacking.

“I hate these things so much.” A short girl with red hair tied in a tight bun passed by the boy as if he wasn’t even there and stopped by the dead zombie.

Astonished, Hiccup finally found the courage to speak.

“You... You almost killed me!” He exclaimed indignantly.

She gave a dry laugh.

“I wasn't aiming at you.” The girl tried to pull the arrow from the undead's forehead.

“You could’ve missed!”

She gave a grunt and, with a little more force, managed to get her arrow back. She directed her blue eyes straight to Hiccup, a hint of sharpness in them.

“I never miss.”

Hiccup took a step back. She was intimidating, he couldn't deny it. The situation didn't improve much when she raised her bow and aimed the bloody arrow at Hiccup.

“Hey, hey! What are you doing?!” He raised his hands high in surrender, starting to sweat.

“Are you infected?”

“No, of course not!”

“So prove it.”

“What?!”

“Take your clothes off, I want to see if you got bitten.”

Hiccup took another step back.

“Come again? I won’t do that!”

“Well, I can't take risks.” The girl pulled the arrow further back, looking fatally serious.

“Wait! Wait! Okay, I... Give me just a second!”

Hiccup started to undress, starting with his shirt, the dagger resting on the ground. He was about to unbutton his pants when Jack appeared with his bat in hand, his face conveying confusion.

“What the hell’s going on here? Hiccup, what the fuck do you think you're doing?!”

Hiccup looked from the girl to his friend, uncertain whether to proceed or not.

“Um, she said…”

"Don't take another step." warned the redhead, now aiming at Jack.

“Who is this?” Jack asked, in a defensive position.

Hiccup shook his head, because he didn't know it either.

“The correct question is who are _you_?”

“My name is Jack Frost and this is Hiccup Haddock. We're not going to hurt you, so you can lower the bow, okay?”

She laughed.

“Who do you think you’re to give me orders? And you think I'm an idiot? What kind of name is ‘Hiccup Haddock’? It can only be a stupid joke attempt and I guarantee, this is not the time for that.”

Hiccup opened his mouth to speak, visibly offended.

“It's just a little different, no need to insult, alright?”

The girl dismissed the comment.

“Whatever, Jack Frost and Hiccup Haddock. What are you doing here? Are you looters?”

Exasperated, Jack rolled his eyes.

“Did you hear what I just said? We won't hurt you, okay? We just camped nearby and…”

But the boy couldn't finish what he was going to say. Without warning, Toothless jumped out of the woods and knocked the stranger onto her back. She tried to regain control of the situation, but her bow and arrows had fallen away. Toothless was snarling and barking at her face, without her being able to get out from under him.

“Get off of me, you disgusting dog! Get off!”

Jack and Hiccup looked at each other.

"She doesn't look so threatening now..." said Hiccup, taking his shirt and putting it on again.

“Oh yeah? Just wait until I get rid of this dog and you’ll see what’s threatening!”

"You know, Hiccup, I think she barks, but she doesn't bite..." Jack teased, a wicked smile on his lips. His friend held his laughter.

“Get him off me, now!” the girl was even more furious, but the fear of being attacked began to show in her features.

"Then promise me you won't try to kill us." said Hiccup.

“Of course I won’t promise such a thing! Besides, what good is a promise nowadays?”

Jack walked around Toothless and the girl and took the bow and arrows she had dropped.

"I want to see you try without this here." Jack said, wryly.

Toothless looked ready for an attack, as if he were just waiting for an order. Defeated, she closed her eyes tightly, shouting:

“Okay, okay! I surrender, satisfied?”

And with a whistle from Hiccup, Toothless ran to his side all quietly, as if nothing had happened. The girl sat up with some difficulty, wiping dog saliva from her face.

“Argh, nasty dog! I'd rather have zombie guts on me than this sticky drool…”

"You have strange priorities," said Hiccup, stroking Toothless behind the ear.

Jack stretched slowly, walking back to Hiccup.

“So, what is the name of the lovely lady who interrupted my sleep and tried to molest my friend Hiccup?”

“I didn't try anything with your skinny friend, I was just looking for bites, let us be clear” she replied irritably.

“If you say so... But, anyway, do you have a name or not?”

The redhead was quiet for a few seconds, wondering if she should say it. In the end, she sighed.

“My name is Merida DunBroch. I came from the West Coast.” She got up, but hesitated holding her shoulder and letting out a groan of pain.

Hiccup approached her, still cautious.

“Are you alright?”

“It’s nothing.” She made a dismissive gesture with her hand, however, a twinge of pain due to the effort made her cover her shoulder again.

Hiccup came closer and Merida looked at him suspiciously.

“Can I take a look?” he asked. “I just want to help.”

Despite the uncertainty, Merida reluctantly relented, leaving him to examine.

“Damn it.”

“What is it?” Jack asked, still with his distance.

“She fell on top of one of the arrows and the tip broke, entering her skin. We have to get it out of there and clean the spot or she might get an infection.”

Merida disengaged herself from the boy, pushing him away with her good arm. This did not prevent the wound from taking another bite.

“And who said I want your help? I don't know you and I don't intend to. Now, return my bow and arrow, I need to get going.

"You are in no condition to shoot with that shoulder, you won’t be able to defend yourself if you need to," explained Hiccup sensibly.

“Seriously, just stop being difficult and let us help" Jack felt his patience was being tested.

Merida contemplated her options for a while, the two of them waiting for an answer. She slowly removed her hand from her shoulder and saw that it was bloody. Her first aid kit had been left behind on one of her escapes and, despite having been after a new one for some time, she had no way of running the risk of wandering around without being able to defend herself as was the case now.

“Where are you camped?”

“To the south, in a clearing, it’s not far from here. And we have some food if you're hungry” added Hiccup, trying to make the offer more attractive.

“What, our food?! We're not going to share our supplies with this... this lunatic!” Jack exclaimed in disagreement.

Merida turned to Hiccup, authoritarian.

“You,” she called. “Show the way.”

Hiccup promptly obeyed, heading for the camp with Toothless at his heels. Jack, still unhappy, just watched as Merida went after his friend. As she passed Frost, she paused, giving an innocent smile.

“What?” He asked impatiently.

In response, Merida kicked him in the leg, making him protest in pain.

"Asshole" she murmured, started walking again.

Jack hobbled his way back, cursing the girl.

* * *

The camp was intact, just as it had been left. It was a good sign, however, it was never a good idea to stay in the same place for too long. If there was a zombie a few hundred meters away, others would appear sooner or later. As soon as they did a quick scan to make sure they were safe, Hiccup immediately started working on Merida's wound.

“Sit here and I'll get the medical kit.” He indicated a fallen log that lay there.

Jack was looking at Merida so sharply that it’d be impossible not to notice. However, it didn't seem to intimidate her at all.

“Trying to threaten me with that look?” She gave a short laugh. “You can stare as much as you want, but you won't be able to scare me. Seriously, you are as scary as a Chihuahua.”

Jack was about to answer back, but Hiccup resurfaced with the kit.

“Jack, can you stop this? The situation is serious, man.”

“What? But she is the one who... Ah, screw you both!” Jack threw his baseball bat away and practically marched away from there.

With a sigh of exhaustion, Hiccup sat down next to Merida and started to separate the utensils from the box he would use.

“Is your friend always that nice?” Asked the redhead, looking at where Jack had been less than a minute earlier.

“Sorry, it’s just that we don't usually host, well, people in general. We usually avoid both the dead and the living.”

“Well, the way things are, I can't say it's a bad idea. Survivors can be even more dangerous than these demons…”

He gave a light laugh.

“It’s quite ironic you’d say that after you threatened to kill us just over half an hour ago.”

“What else could I do? You can't trust anyone these days... Ouch!” She groaned when he touched her wound.

“Sorry, I know it hurts. I think it might be easier if you take off your shirt.” suggested Hiccup, but after Merida's incredulous and alarming look, he rethought the idea, blushing to the roots of his hair. “I-I mean, I won’t be able to extract the arrowhead with the fabric in the way, but we can look for another solution and…”

“Oh, screw it.” Merida grabbed the edge of her blouse and pulled it up, passing it over her head. Hiccup automatically turned his head to the opposite side, his face even redder. “My God, boy, I'm not naked or anything, okay? Can you get that thing off my shoulder already?”

Apprehensively, Hiccup got the courage to look at her. He was somewhat relieved when he noticed that she was still wearing a black top to cover herself.

“Alright. This will hurt a lot, if you want to hold or bite something like a shirt or…”

“Just get it over with!”

In the next instant, Merida wished she had followed Hiccup's advice, for the pain she felt was so acute that her cry of agony was caught in her throat. Realizing how the girl's body had arched, Hiccup was a little concerned.

“Sorry, the alcohol burns.”

Taking a deep breath, Merida closed her eyes as the pain made her head spin. She just felt the skin on her shoulder throb as Hiccup went on with slightly shaking hands. Then he started to pull the arrow out and Merida almost wanted to pass out at once, even if it was a sign of weakness.

“Wait, almost there... And... There, it's over.” Hiccup took a piece of fabric to clean the wound and then bandaged it.

The wound still burned a lot, but Merida was already feeling a little better. She put on her blouse and, with some effort, got to her feet.

"Thank you" she said, her tone softer than before.

Hiccup gave a friendly smile.

“No problem. I just don't recommend you use your bow for a few days, until the wound heals a little more. In the meantime, you are welcome to stay with us. After that, you can follow your path at will and no one will stop you.”

Merida stared at him for a few seconds, considering the idea.

“What about that Frost guy? Won't he try to behead me while we aren’t looking?”

Hiccup shook his head.

“Jack is just feeling a little upset, but he will behave well. I promise.”

"You better be right," she said in warning. “But in any case... Have you already had breakfast? I'm starving.”

* * *

Three days and five hours after the meeting with Merida, and Jack could no longer stand the girl. She was absolutely useless, all she could do was deplete their food supply and take up space in the tent. That is, of course, when she wasn't making his life hell, teasing him with her sarcastic comments.

“Ah, very well, Frost! You'll kill all the undead guys holding that .40 like that. I don't know who had the great idea of giving you that gun, but he's probably not even alive to justify himself. Honestly, are you trying to kill us all or what?”

Doing his best to control himself, Jack went to Hiccup, who was preparing a rabbit, which had fallen into one of his traps, to cook.

“Man, I swear if she doesn't shut up, I'll do it for her in the most painful and slow way possible.”

“Jack, be patient. Merida will be leaving in a couple of days at most. After that, you'll never need to see her again, okay? Besides, it's kind of our fault that she got hurt.”

“How is it our fault?! Are you listening to what you're saying? I don't know if you remember, but she was the one aiming an arrow at your head!”

“And can you blame her? We could’ve been dangerous, she had no way of knowing.”

Full of that all, Jack gave his ultimatum.

“She has two days. If after that she is still here, then I will leave.” Jack purposefully bumped Hiccup's shoulder as he left.

 _Those two definitely started with the left foot_ , thought Hiccup. Of course, their nature didn’t help much, both being so stubborn. Hiccup was a little calmer and more reasonable, which meant that Merida treated him better, even though she was never necessarily kind or especially pleasant. At least, she was able to open up a little more now.

Apparently, Merida had studied for five years at a military boarding school in California and that was where she was when all that chaos started. Now, her goal was to reach New Scotland in the state of New York, where her family lived, to see if she could find them.

“I mean, I know the chances aren't great, but I know them and I know they're tough enough to put up with this all.”

When she said that, Jack just gave a weak laugh and got up from the fire, entering the tent.

"Do you think I'm crazy for thinking that, Haddock?" Merida asked, for the first time looking a little unsure.

Hiccup had no idea what the situation was like in the girl's hometown, let alone what her relatives were like, but what kind of person would he be if he took away someone's hopes just to be right?

“Of course not, maybe things are calmer over there than here, right?”

“Yeah, I think that too.”

Then, on the fifth day, it was time for Merida's departure. Jack and Hiccup were also going to leave the forest to move on, having used the whole morning to dismantle the camp. That was a categorical goodbye.

“Well, I think that's it, isn't it?” Merida said, not knowing whether yo look at the boys or at her boots. “Where did you say you were going?”

“I think Wooster is not far from here, just a few miles. It might be a good place to look for supplies” Hiccup said, holding the straps of the backpack he carried on his back.

Merida nodded, understanding.

"It was nice of you to help me while I was recovering," she said, risking a look at both of them. Hiccup smiled, while Jack watched the surroundings, as if he couldn’t wait to leave. “So... See you around.”

"Yeah, maybe in hell" Jack said, then being elbowed by Hiccup in the stomach. “Dude!”

Without saying anything else, Merida gave a slight wave of her hand and turned her back to them, walking into the forest. Five seconds later, she stopped and turned to the pair one last time.

“Wait!” Merida shouted. The two of them, who had already started walking, froze and turned their faces to her. “I just wanted to say... Well, good luck.”

And she was gone.

* * *

“I'm not saying you had to like her, but you have to try to understand her side, you know? I mean, we found out very little about Merida, it's not hard to imagine that she's been through a lot of shit from California until she got here.”

The boys and Toothless were just a few more hours from the city, following Road 250. The sky was overcast, but the heat was unrelenting. Soon they’d have to take a break to regain their strength.

“Look, Hiccup, I don't give a damn about that girl or any crap that has happened in her life. We are all sunk in this garbage together, and if she wants to play the jerk with the few people who don't try to stick a bullet into her head, then maybe she deserves to be alone and be eaten by the zombie mom she'll find in New Scotland. That is, if she can get there.”

“That was harsh.”

“No, I'm being more than fair. Anyway, talking about this girl is making me angry, we better change the subject.”

When they started to get really tired, they decided to stop at a place they saw in the distance. It looked like there could even be fresh water from some well and some food.

“Well, I'm not saying that to annoy you or anything, but was it the right thing to do?” Asked Hiccup, as they approached the farmhouse.

Jack took a deep breath.

“What is it, Hiccup?”

“I don't know, maybe she still wasn't well enough to go on alone. Maybe we should have let her stay just a few more days.”

“Listen, do you want to go back and look for that girl?”

“I didn't say that, I just think…”

“If you want to play the knight in the shining armour and go after her, feel free to do so, but don't drag me along. I won't stop you or anything.”

Hiccup sighed, exasperated.

“Forget it. Hey, why don't you go in while I check the back?”

Jack made some noise, kind of agreeing. Hiccup did as he himself suggested, checking the back of the house.

“Did I say something wrong, Toothless? I mean, even you were getting used to the presence of Merida. Not that she was going to stay with us forever, that’s stupid, but she could stay another week or two, right?”

The dog looked at him and Hiccup sensed that he understood what he meant. Or maybe it was the heat stroke, it was too hot that day. Anyway, he still felt his conscience slightly heavy.

Hiccup was still lost in thought when he realized that Toothless was no longer with him. He looked back and saw his canine friend sitting, just looking at him.

“Toothless! Come here, buddy!” He even whistled, but the dog didn't budge. “What is it with you, huh?”

The answer came as a guttural howl from the zombie that was a few meters away from Hiccup, accompanied by three more "colleagues".

“Shit!” Hiccup tried to get some of the weapons that were in the backpack, but ended up fumbling and knocking it over. He started to lower down to get it back, but the undead ran at him like crazy and if he stayed, it would be the last thing he would do.

He ran out into the open field, Toothless ahead, looking over his shoulder just to confirm that he was being chased. However, one of the zombies was left behind, only to destroy Hiccup's backpack and everything in it.

“Aw, and now that…” Then, he remembered that he hadn’t arrived there alone. “Jack! Jack!”

“FUCK!”

And that was Jack and he was also running, but not from the same zombies as Hiccup. Oh, great, there were five more of them! Hiccup did his best not to panic and look for a way out of the situation. That was when he located the barn. That should work... for a while.

“Jack, follow me!”

They hurried to the barn and closed the tall wooden doors quickly. But it still wasn't enough.

“Is there anything to hold the door?” Asked Hiccup.

“Like what?”

Hiccup looked around searching for any tool that would serve his purpose. His gaze fell on the plumbing.

“There! Pluck a pipe, I think it will do!”

After putting the pipe to block the door, they moved away from it, Toothless barking non-stop.

“Where is your stuff?” Jack asked.

Hiccup just shook his head, looking sad as he gasped for air. Jack tilted his head back in frustration.

“Excellent, the best weapons were there.”

They began to hear the demonic screams that came from outside, the door shaking as the dead charged against it.

“I have the pistol and the bat, that's all.”

“We should have picked up more stuff in that house back in Ashland…”

“Well, if we had done that, we would’ve been caught by those suckers.”

“Given the circumstances, it looks better than being eaten alive.”

“Okay, fair.”

The zombies looked more furious than ever, the pipe that blocked the doors starting to give way.

"It won't be long," Hiccup said, giving up.

Jack threw the pistol at him.

“So when they come in, you'll have to be quick.”

“Jack, our chances are…”

“I don't care about chances, Hiccup! I won’t die today.”

Hiccup looked from his friend to the gun in his hand and took a deep breath.

“Okay, let's get this over with.” He put himself in position for the attack.

Jack held up the baseball bat. Hiccup felt his hands sweat. Toothless snarled at the door. That was it, the moment was that.

Then there was silence.

Jack and Hiccup looked at each other, confused.

“Did they…” Jack was saying when the door was opened wide, making the evening air invade the barn.

The boys were ready to face the zombies, but they soon lowered their weapons, seeing only Merida there, holding the head of an undead by the hair.

“Hi boys” she greeted them, then dropping to the ground the head that was still making noises and spitting blood, throwing an ax in it. When the thing stopped moving, she pulled the weapon out of that skull and rested it on one shoulder. “Pretty cool, isn't it? I found this cutie in a motel on the side of the road. Oh, and as you can see, my shoulder is brand new.”

“M-Merida” Hiccup couldn't believe it, seeing the dead bodies behind the girl, most with arrows on their bodies. “How did you...? I mean, we thought you went to New Scotland.”

“Well, that's still my plan. It's just that in the middle of the way I came across _this_ and…” the redhead took a dagger from the side of her boot, the same one that Hiccup had left behind in the forest the day they met. “I thought I could return it or whatever.” She started to turn slightly flushed, looking at the floor full of hay and fluids.

Hiccup went to her and took his dagger.

"Thanks" he said.

"Anyway," Merida played with her ax absently. “As I already did what I had to do, I’m going. Stay away from places like this, most of these zombies were survivors trying to be smart. I would know, some idiots at the boarding school did the same stupidity... Anyway, take care. For real this time”

Merida was already leaving, when she was prevented.

“We’ll go with you.”

She and Hiccup turned to Jack, puzzled.

“Did he hit himself with that bat?” Merida asked the other boy.

“My head is fine, thanks.” Jack took a few steps towards them. “The point is that you’re not as useless as I thought you were.”

“Wow, I even feel flattered. Was this supposed to be a compliment?”

“I don't know... I just know that we owe you this and we have nowhere to go anyway. After all, what do you have to lose? Traveling in greater numbers is always more advantageous, even if it’s to use others as bait.”

Merida almost laughed in disbelief.

“This is the strangest way to propose a partnership I have ever seen.”

“But what do you say?” Hiccup said, looking at her. “You accept?”

Merida looked at them for a moment, weighing her options. She ended up sighing.

“I have an uncontrollable feeling that I’ll regret this... Well, we'll see. Take my arrows, suckers. Let's get out of this pigsty of brains.” Then she opened her eyes wide, remembering something. “Oh yeah, there's something else I got.”

Merida ran outside, leaving the two of them without understanding anything. They approached the doors to see where she was going.

"No way, dude" Jack murmured.

“Fancy a ride?” Merida asked, honking the horn of the silver Jeep Cherokee parked in the middle of the field. “Silver is not quite my color, but the options are scarce lately. At least the tank is full.”

Jack turned to Hiccup.

“I admit, you were right this time.”

Hiccup was quiet, shrugging. _I bet they'll try to strangle each other in less than two hours._ Considering that, he decided to enjoy peace while he still had it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's right, we already have three people from the quartet! Rapunzel won't be showing up immediately though. It may take a couple more chapters, but she'll be here soon, don't you worry :)


	3. The Trap

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm back with another chapter for you guys! Hope you're all well. Good read!

_**Interstate 71, Ohio** _

Before, when it was just Jack and Hiccup, there was little reason to get a car. All they wanted to do was find a new place to make their anti-zombie base. However, now that they had committed themselves to accompany Merida to her destination, that Jeep came in handy. Hiccup, who had once worked in an auto repair shop as an apprentice, made some minor adjustments to make the vehicle quieter. The last thing they needed was to draw unwanted attention.

“Do you know what would be cool? If we put one of those metal plates on the bumper so that we could run over those zombies, like bowling or some shit. Yeah, that would be fun, huh?” Jack said in the passenger seat, his mind immersed in his quite insane ideas, as the other two might put it.

Hiccup looked at Merida as if to apologize.

“Look, I'm sure that before the collapse of humanity, his sense of humor was less bleak.”

“Is it too late to just drop you here or ...?” Asked Merida with a raised eyebrow as she drove. “Oh, speaking of strange things, why is your hair white, Frost? Is it some kind of premature aging? Or do you find time to bleach it despite not knowing if you’ll live for the next day? Although, I have to say, white is not very fashionable right now.”

Jack feigned a laugh.

“You're hilarious.”

“But she's right, Jack. You never told me why either” said Hiccup in the backseat with Toothless, who had his head out the window.

“Maybe because my fucking hair is not relevant when we’re in the middle of an apocalypse?” Asked Jack sarcastically.

“Can’t you say the reason already? Then we can shut up about it.” Merida rolled her eyes.

Jack sighed. Of course that question was going to come up sooner or later.

“It got like that, that's all.”

Merida laughed.

“Oh, ‘that’s all’?”

He shrugged, disdainful.

“Yeah, that's what I said.”

Hiccup considered that idea.

“Well, I've heard of traumas that can make this kind of thing happen…”

“I suppose this whole situation is traumatic enough, isn't it? Now, I’d be grateful if we could talk about anything other than my fucking hair.”

“Don't talk about my hair, nah, nah, nah. My name’s Jack Frost and this subject makes me sensitive, ooh…” Merida scoffed, making a mocking face.

Jack took a deep breath, trying to remain patient. He turned angrily to Hiccup.

“See? This is your fault.”

“Shit!!” Exclaimed Merida, slamming her foot into the brake.

Everyone jerked forward, Jack who wasn’t wearing a seat belt banged his head against the windshield.

“Fuck, Merida!” He took his hand to the affected area, massaging the region. “Are you crazy?!”

“I almost hit it!” She pointed to the road ahead.

There was, in the center of the highway, a slightly frightened bear cub. Everyone in the car stared at the little animal until it moved and cleared the road, entangling itself in the forest.

“Are you serious?” Jack asked incredulously. “All this because of a... a cub?”

“The ecosystem is already pretty fucked up without me running over what's left of it, okay? Also, I couldn't kill a baby bear. That’s, like, mean.”

Jack was going to say something, he really was. But in the end, he gave up raising his arms as if he were surrendering.

"You're crazy," was all he said.

Hiccup looked at the two and smiled. After all, he saw potential in that trio. Even though Jack and Merida argued, it seemed quite harmless. Maybe it could work and he hoped it would. The redhead was quite an addition to the group, considering her skills with that bow. Furthermore, if she had survived for a long time alone in the midst of that chaos, she’d certainly know how to cope with difficult circumstances that they might face.

But was she reliable? He couldn't help wondering. Caution was needed in those days when a stab in the back could come from anyone. It had been different with Jack, they’d become friends almost instantly, but Hiccup had to admit that he’d been lucky. At that time, he was still confused by all that absurd situation and placed his trust way too easily. Now, he was more attentive and also fully aware that a hasty action could result in his early demise.

He looked at Merida through the rearview mirror. She had her eyes on the road ahead and seemed relaxed. There was no malice in her or in her ways, even if someone could question it, by remembering the day when she threatened them with that bloody arrow. However, none of that mattered after she saved them. That girl might as well have gone on her own way, leaving them to their own devices.

Yes, that alliance was more than right. In fact, it was almost a debt. Hiccup had known Merida for less than a week, but he felt that he didn’t need to doubt her loyalty.

Well, it was just a precaution, of course.

When night fell, Jack took the driver's seat. Merida stayed in the back seat with Toothless, so she could have more space to rest.

“Is she sleeping?” Jack asked, his attention on the road.

Hiccup looked over his shoulder. The girl lie serenely, occupying most of the seat. The remaining space was used by Toothless, who also slept with his head resting on her legs.

“Seems so.”

Jack sighed.

“Finally some peace. I thought she’d never be quiet.”

“She's exhausted, should sleep for a few hours.”

“If we're lucky.”

Hiccup shrugged.

“I don't know, I think she's cool.”

Jack gave a weak laugh.

“Of course you think that, she’s the first girl you see in a year! Well, at least it’s the first that’s not in the process of decomposition.”

Hiccup shook his head.

“That’s not it.”

“Oh, it is. But, unlike you my friend, I won’t let myself be carried away by the first pretty girl that appears in front of me. You're asking for an early funeral.”

“Jack, are you nuts?! She might hear you!” Hiccup scolded him in a distressed whisper.

But the boy didn't seem concerned. He continued to drive, without even checking to see if she heard them.

“Relax, dude. Don't you remember the days we camped in the forest? That one sleeps like a rock.”

Hiccup checked if she was still asleep. Then he sighed in relief, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“What you said... it’s nonsense.”

“Really? Well, it's not like you have any chance, anyway.”

“Hey!”

“What? Take a look at her and you’ll find the truth. Better, let's profile Merida DunBroch. First of all, she came from a military school, which means she is pretty tough. Secondly, just by the time we spent together, you can tell that she is stubborn, bossy, irritating and has a tendency to aim arrows at people when she is angry. Finally, she is a redhead. Redheads are trouble, everyone knows it... Anyway, how many girls like her did you go out with at school?”

Hiccup's silence was enough of an answer. Jack tapped the steering wheel with his fingers, declaring the validity of his argument.

“See? No way, man.”

Annoyed, even though he wasn’t sure why, Hiccup started looking out the window.

"Well, it's not like I have time to think about these things" he said in a low voice.

Jack watched his friend with the corner of his eye, a little sorry for the mocking tone he had used. He was just saying what he thought, but maybe he should have expressed himself some other way.

He was just about to talk in a attempt to mend the mistake, when he noticed something on the road.

“Wake her up, Hiccup.”

Hiccup didn’t quite get it.

“Huh? What you...?”

“Do what I'm saying, okay? We have company.”

The car slowed to a complete stop. Hiccup shook Merida's shoulder lightly until she started to wake up. Still sleepy and rubbing her eyes, she found the situation very odd.

“Why did we stop?” she asked.

“Because of them.” Jack took the pistol out of the glove compartment. “I'll be right back.”

“Jack, where the...?” before Hiccup could finish the question, Jack was out of the car.

“Damn it, Haddock, look.” Merida pointed at the windshield.

Then, they understood. A group was blocking the passage, holding bats, clubs and other weapons. They didn't seem friendly at all.

“Why did Frost stop?! We could’ve passed straight through them!”

“They made a barricade in the middle of the way, look down there.”

Despite the scant light ― Jack had turned off the car's headlights ―, it was possible to see a pile of junk piled up ahead, which would prevent any vehicle from crossing.

“The only way to get back to the road would be to go around on foot, after all, on both sides there is only a dense forest, which is impossible to cross by car.”

Merida was still not convinced.

“We should’ve gone back. Better to drive twice as far than to run into these people. I don't know how charming Frost thinks he is, but with those guys there’s no negotiation.

Hiccup was concerned, but he needed to keep calm. He took a deep breath, making his decision.

“I’ll go.”

“You’ll what?!” Merida's eyes widened.

“I have better diplomatic skills. Who knows, I might convince them to let us go.” suggested Hiccup, opening the car door. “Don't come out, wait until everything’s fine.”

“Did you happen to hear what I just said? Haddock, come back here!”

However, Merida's protests were in vain. She saw the boy joining his friend, trying to talk to the strangers. She began to feel desperate, watching as the two were gradually surrounded by the group. It was no better than plain surrender, they were acting like insects that went spontaneously into a spider's web.

That was when one of the men ran towards Hiccup that Jack drew his gun. However, he didn’t see that someone was already behind him and got hit on the head with a club. Jack fell to the ground, his weapon too far from reach. Hiccup was unable to help him, since he was already defending himself against one of the men. The rest of the pack seemed to be watching the scene as if it were part of a comic play.

Merida lost her patience, jumping to the front seat.

“Idiots.”

Without waiting as Hiccup had asked, she started the car. The men were certainly not expecting the Jeep to move, as they were taken by surprise by the vehicle. Merida managed to run over two of them and one more when reversing.

“Merida, watch out!” she heard the warning.

Shots began to be fired in her direction, so many that she didn’t know where they came from, she only knew that they hit both the car bodywork and the windows. She lowered herself as she could and accelerated again, trying to run over a shooter. The windshield cracked and then broke into pieces. She instinctively closed her eyes and covered her face to protect herself. In a matter of instants, the car hit the barricade, with the front getting completely dented.

It took Merida a few seconds to recover from the impact. She had a small cut on her forehead and was sore, but nothing much more serious than that. She tried to restart the car but it appeared to be damaged beyond repair.

“Come on, please…” She insisted a few more times without success.

Her breathing was labored. She saw in the rear view that the armed men were coming for her. There was no way out, she couldn't run fast enough to escape.

Toothless started to bark and only then did Merida remember the animal's presence. He looked fine, but extremely nervous and scared.

“At least one of us get a chance of surviving”, the redhead concluded.

She struggled to reach the handle on one of the back doors, then pushed it open.

“Go, get out of here!” She gestured to the dog, but he didn’t move.

Knowing that her seconds were numbered, Merida took a handful of arrows from under the seat and started to throw them at Toothless with the strength she still had left.

“Stupid dog! Get out before they come to end you!”

Then, the tip of an arrow hit Toothless's eye. Merida immediately felt guilty, but it’d fulfilled her purpose of scaring the dog away, by making him run towards the forest.

Merida was still with a lump in her throat of remorse when one of the men pulled her out of the car. She took a deep bite on the guy's arm, but it resulted in a slap hard enough to knock her down.

“That bitch bit me!” The guy yelled, taking the gun from his makeshift holster and pointing it at her.

“Wait, she’s not infected” another said, approaching. Merida was too dizzy to care when the man lifted her face to take a closer look. “And she’s cute. It’d be a waste if you killed her, wouldn't it?”

“She kinda deserves it... But I guess you're right.”

“Let's take them all. We’re almost out of gladiators.”

Gladiators? It made no sense in Merida's disoriented mind. Suddenly, she felt herself being lifted by her arms and a cloth moistened with some extremely strong-smelling substance blocked her airways. She tried to break free, but it was no use. Soon, her vision darkened and the world was completely silent.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter took a dark turn, I suppose. Next one's even darker to be honest. That's kinda inevitable in zombie-apocalypse stories, but yeah, just letting you guys know. Thank you very much for taking the time to read and leaving kudos! See you soon x


	4. Gladiators

**THEN**

**_Dayton, Ohio_ **

He was late for the fifth time that month and it probably wouldn’t be the last. This time, he blamed Toothless for literally eating his homework. He even tried to save what he could from the chewed pages and redo some of what he still remembered. He wasn’t naïve enough to think anyone would believe him, but he had to at least try to explain himself. However, the teacher didn't seem very interested in his excuses or what he had managed to recover from his homework. She gave Hiccup a tired look and indicated his seat in the center of the room.

As he sat down, he noticed that the twins Ruffnut and Tuffnut seemed to be laughing at him, but he chose to ignore them. After all, the view in front of him was much more interesting.

That day, Astrid Hofferson had her light blonde hair in a high ponytail, wearing a red sweater matching a black skirt. From where he was, Hiccup could only catch a glimpse of her pale neck, the delicate contour of her shoulders, and sometimes, if he was lucky, he could see the girl's angelic face in profile if she looked at either side for some reason.

He knew that his crush was almost ridiculous, especially because he’d liked Astrid since elementary school and still hadn't done anything about it. But something that Gobber, an old friend of his father's, had said on his last visit had made him inflamed with courage.

“You said she isn’t seeing anyone... How long have you said you like this girl for?” Asked Gobber.

Hiccup's father had gone to the kitchen to get some drinks and the other man took the opportunity to ask. Hiccup and his father had never been close enough to talk about that kind of thing ― in fact, about almost any topic.

The boy shrugged, a little embarrassed.

“Maybe ten years.”

Gobber started to laugh, leaving the young man confused and a little more embarrassed.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, it was quite rude of me... But boy, what are you waiting for? Some kind of miracle? You’re graduating this year! If you don't call her on a date soon, she'll go to college and forget about you! Is this what you want?”

“N-No, but…”

“So stop wasting time and do it, boy! If your father had followed this same advice of mine, maybe your mother would still be around…”

Had Stoick received that same advice? His mother... If his father had done something at the time, maybe she wouldn't have left them both... No, he couldn't let that happen now. The past wasn’t going to repeat itself.

Immersed in daydreams, he didn't even notice when the class ended and everyone started to get ready for the second period. He only realized that when Astrid got up and walked towards the exit.

Damn, his chance was slipping through his fingers. He had to act.

Somewhat awkwardly, he grabbed all his belongings and ran out of the room. He looked around and searched for the girl. Oh, there she was, near the lockers, picking up the book she would use for her next class. With nothing planned in mind, Hiccup approached as if he was just passing by. However, Astrid noticed his presence and looked at him suspiciously.

“Uh, Hiccup?”

He almost dropped his belongings off his arms, abruptly turning to the blonde.

“A-Astrid! Wow, you around here? What a surprise!”

“We just left the same geography class.” She raised her eyebrows.

“We did, right? Gee, I didn't even notice that we had this one together…”

“Un, okay then.” Astrid turned to her locker once again. “Anyway, are you going to say why you're here for or are you just going to keep staring at me?”

She didn't make that situation any easier. That was when Hiccup remembered Snotlout, from the football team, who had professed his love to Astrid in the cafeteria a few weeks ago, a gesture she didn’t appreciate at all. Snotlout still sported that black eye she gave him.

Was Astrid going to get mad at Hiccup, too? What if she never wanted to look him in the face again? He’d probably have to stop sitting behind her in every class they shared, in addition to needing to change the route back home, since they lived quite close and had a good chance of running into each other.

He needed to stop. All those hypotheses didn’t get him anywhere. Worse than taking the biggest rejection of all times would be if he hadn’t even tried.

Taking a deep breath, Hiccup decided to go for it.

“Okay, there goes nothing.”

Curious about the boy's sudden determined tone, Astrid closed the locker and started paying attention to him.

“Astrid, I was wondering if... well, maybe, you... I mean, I…”

She let out a weak laugh, making him stop.

“Are you asking me out, Hiccup?”

At first, Hiccup didn't know what to say. She didn't look angry, but maybe it was because she thought it was a big joke. Or was he getting paranoid?

_ Screw it, what do I have to lose? _

He shrugged, pressing his lips together.

“If I said I were, what would your answer be?”

Perhaps because of Hiccup's candor, Astrid didn't say anything at first. Then she let a mischievous smile slip over her mouth.

“My answer? Well, it would be…”

All of a sudden, a high-pitched noise echoed through the corridors. It came from the internal radio system, as if there was a critical circuit failure. After a few seconds, it returned to normal, and the school principal started speaking.

_ “Good morning to all students, this is your principal. Despite being counterproductive, classes are being suspended. These were orders given directly by the governor and will remain in effect indefinitely. Until further notice, all tests are canceled, as well as school projects that would be concluded in the coming weeks. Please, all students should go to the exits calmly and organizedly. Those who need to wait for their parents, wait in the parking lot. The teaching staff must present themselves in the teachers' lounge as soon as possible. For now that's all. More information will be given to you in the coming days via a letter written by the governor's secretary. Thank you.” _

The first thing Hiccup and Astrid did was to look at each other, very much confused.

“What happened?” Asked the boy.

“I don't know... I…” Astrid was going to say something, but gave up in the middle of the sentence. “I need to go, Hiccup.”

She took some things from the locker and left. It would be the last time Hiccup would see her in a long while.

* * *

**NOW**

**_Somewhere in Ohio_ **

The side of his face was damp and cold. His body ached. It took some effort to lift his eyelids and a few more seconds for his vision to adjust to the gloom.

“Sorry, Haddock, I didn't mean to hurt him, but I didn't see any other way at the time…”

“It’s all right, you did right. Toothless knows how to take care of himself... it was better that way.”

_ Where... Where am I?,  _ Jack let out a gasp of pain, the back of his head seemed to have been hit by a brick. He took his hand to the wound and found that he wasn’t bleeding.  _ At least that. _

“Jack woke up!” he heard Hiccup's voice and needed a few moments to locate him on the other side of... What was that?

"Hiccup..." he murmured.

"We thought you weren't going to wake up anymore," Merida said, annoyed, but the concern in her voice was palpable. “How’s your head? I saw the blow that guy gave you.”

Jack forced himself to sit. The smelly floor was made of metal and was sparsely covered with fallen leaves from the forest trees and dirt. The forest... Apparently, that's where they took them.

"It hurts a little," Jack admitted. “Is this... a cage?”

“Yeah, a very spacious one. I wonder where they got one of those…” said Hiccup.

“Now, why does it matter? Are you no longer concerned with what's actually going on here?” Asked Merida impatiently.

“That could be an important detail, it could give us a hint, okay?”

“As far as I know, this cage could have been from a circus and I think that wouldn’t help anything in our situation!”

Hiccup sighed.

“Okay, fine, we have to stay calm. Let's be practical, let’s gather as much information as possible. What do we know?”

“There's fire on that side.” Jack pointed to the north, where there was a flickering light behind a small hill. “Besides, you can hear some voices from that direction. Our kidnappers must be camped there.”

Hiccup was pensive.

“They’re there, that's for sure, but this whole place, it doesn’t look like a regular looter camp. As I said, the cage is an important piece of information. It has signs of being used frequently, more people came by”, he picked up a small flowery clip from the floor and showed it to the others.

“This is getting very strange…” Merida watched the object carefully. “After all, what is this place? Why would these guys leave us here if they were common looters? They weren't just interested in our stuff, or we wouldn't be having this conversation right now.”

As if they had been summoned to answer Merida's question, a trio of men appeared, coming down the small hill. The man in the center was big as a bear and had scars all over his face. He had long, thick dreadlocks and a hard, intimidating expression. The two men behind were apparently just two cronies, one was strong and tall, though not as strong as the man in the middle, and the other was slight, with a long face.

"These guys are completely crazy... They can't keep us here," Jack said before the men reached them.

“Do you have a key there, Frost?” Merida asked sarcastically. “Because I’m under the impression that they can.”

“Stop it!” Warned Hiccup.

Now they had company.

“New gladiators!” Exclaimed the bear-man. “We were short of... And this group might provide us with an interesting fight. If you're lucky, more than one. Well, the last guys didn't last long in the arena, but I heard you were quite troublesome to my people. One of them has a very serious head injury.”

"Next time, I'll run over him properly," Merida said defiantly, Hiccup took her by the shoulders.

“What the hell are you doing?!” Hiccup asked, incredulous.

“Let go of me, Haddock.” She broke away with irritation.

“Ah, this is always good to see, I like enthusiasm!” The bear-man smiled with his rotten teeth. “And which one of you will be the first?”

Hiccup gave the redhead a warning look and stepped forward.

“Sir, er... I don't know what you intend to do, but I know that we can find a better solution in which both parties win.”

The bear-man and the skinny one began to laugh mockingly. The third man watched the trio in the cage in concentrated silence.

“And what is your proposal?”

Hiccup gulped, trying not to be intimidated.

“I'm a mechanic, I'm very good at fixing things. My friend is an excellent hunter. And this guy here,” he pointed at Jack,"is the best undead killer I know. We could be a valuable addition to your group.”

“Who said I want to work for this one?” Merida replied.

"You want to," Hiccup turned to her, speaking between his teeth. “Of course you do.”

She understood the subtlety, but it didn't improve her mood. The bear-man, on the other hand, looked thoughtful.

“If what you say is true, it would be stupid not to consider.”

“But, Drago," said the small man. “If it’s true, it’s one more reason to proceed with the plan. Think about it, they could turn on us.”

Drago pondered for a few more moments, Hiccup and the skinny man were watching him with the same expectant look. He exhaled the air from his lungs, exasperated.

“You're right, the risk doesn't pay. And because you gave the idea, you kid will be the first in the arena.”

“What?!”

“Ah, how about if you had a look of what's to come? Cuff ‘em and follow me. Let's watch that idiot from earlier today get knocked out.” Drago was walking back the way he came.

The small man took the key from his pocket, but before opening the cage, he warned:

“If you try anything, Eret blows your brains out.”

The guy Eret was holding two guns, one in each hand. Given his firmness in holding them, no one would doubt that statement. One by one, they left the cage. When Merida's turn came, the skinny guy took a few more seconds.

“You know, I always liked redheads…”

Merida spat at his feet, disgusted.

“I die before you lay a finger on me.”

He came closer, his fetid breath going against her neck.

“Don't be so skittish…”

“Leave her, you idiot!” Hiccup was going to turn to defend her, even with his hands tied, but stopped in the act when a bullet passed five inches from his ear.

Everyone was static for a moment. Eret kept his weapon in position.

“Let's get on with it. Drago hates to wait.”

The skinny henchman laughed heartily.

“That was a good one, Eret. The boy almost pissed himself.”

Eret didn't seem to share his colleague's sense of humor or was just out of patience. Finally, the three were guided uphill.

"Oh my... God..." murmured Hiccup when they saw what awaited them.

This was really an arena. Rudimentary, but still an arena. Fences were put up to form a circle. In the center, there was a heap of rusted old cars. There was no grandstand, but the men ― there must’ve been about fifteen of them ― seemed to be content to watch through the fences, a few had climbed to the top of the parked trucks to have a better view. And what they saw was a barbaric scene.

A man in his early twenties, with only a knife as a resource, defended himself against six zombies. He instinctively searched for the highest point, climbing the pile of junk while the dead converged on him. When the corpses got close enough, he started attacking them, being able to get rid of one on his first hit.

“You’re insane!” Jack snapped, dumbfounded.

The skinny guy laughed.

“Don't blink, or you'll miss the  _ grand finale _ .”

When the man in the arena tried to advance in an attack on a second zombie, he lost his balance slightly. The three seconds needed to compose himself were more than enough for another zombie to make its offensive move. The zombie sank the teeth into his shoulder, making the man howl in pain. After that, it was easy for the others to knock the poor guy down.

The next part was the most grotesque of all. At the end of it, there were only bloody bones and bits of internal organs splattering the pile of cars. Jack had a coughing fit, almost vomiting in disgust. That wasn’t the first time the living were worse than the dead.

“In these difficult times, we need to take advantage of the situation and find a way to distract ourselves.” Drago approached the group, a wicked smile on his scarred lips.

“Killing other human beings in a brutal way is fun to you?” Asked Hiccup, disbelieving.

"Hell has a special place saved for people like that," hissed Merida.

“This is hell already, little redhead!” and he had his fair share of reason for saying that.

"Only one person survived the arena," the small man said.

Drago came up to Eret and slapped him on the back.

“But he didn't come out unscathed, did he?”

Eret looked at his boss, understanding a silent order, and pulled the collar of his shirt down, revealing a tremendous scar on his chest. In the present circumstances, it seemed like a low price to pay for life itself.

“Well, the tour is over. Back to the cage,” Drago ordered.

“Boss, boss!” Interrupted the skinny man. “Can I have the girl? Can I?”

Merida's eyes widened at her friends. They looked just as nervous.

“I don't know, others will find it unfair. Besides, the last one I gave you was left in pieces. I don't want that kind of mess in my shed.”

“Oh no, I will be well behaved, I promise you.”

Drago rolled his eyes.

“Gotta keep my people happy, huh? Get on with it, useless. And give Eret the keys.”

Merida let out a cry of rage as she started to be pulled in the opposite direction from Jack and Hiccup.

“LET ME GO!”

“MERIDA!!” Jack and Hiccup screamed in unison. But soon they were back in the cage, locked and powerless.

The next few hours would be filled with the most terrible thoughts they could have.

* * *

The skinny man closed the shed door more delicately than one would have expected. Merida took slow steps backwards, saving as much time as she could.

“In pieces? What did he mean by that?” She asked innocently.

He gave a depraved giggle.

“I'll show you.”

“But I'm much more useful in one piece, don't you agree? What is your name?”

“Why does my name matter? You’ll soon be dead.”

Merida tried to smile gracefully.

“Now, be smart. If you help me, I can help you too. I would be forever grateful.”

He drew a machete from his back, walking slowly towards her, like a child playing with food.

“And what would be the fun in that? I want to hear you scream.”

Merida then bumped into an old desk.  _ A gun, anything.  _ She searched with her hands behind her back, touching everything she could on that surface. There were only papers, something with the shape of a rubber and... Finally, she found a pencil with a relatively sharp point, but it was obviously a very weak and pathetic weapon.

“What are you going to do with that? Write your epitaph?” The skinny gave another laugh.

“No.” She was sweating cold. It was almost time. “But I can write yours if you want.”

“I want to see you try.” He went after her.

Military training had never been so opportune. With her wrists slightly outward, Merida used her arms as a lever and smashed the plastic cuffs against her tailbone. The machete buzzed past her ear, but it wasn’t fast enough to hit her. When the weapon came back in a second attack, Merida held the man's wrist.

“You are quite strong for a girl, aren't you?” he had a lunatic look and continued to laugh.

Merida tried to attack with the other hand, but her recent defense tactic was imitated, her wrist being immobilized.

“Do you think this will hurt me?”

With a gasp of effort, Merida kicked between the man's legs, then knocked him over with her foot right in the center of his chest. The machete fell a few inches from him. The redhead grabbed his neck, the pencil still between her index and middle fingers, and knelt on his shoulders to hinder his movements, but was unable to stop him completely. He reached for the machete, holding it tightly as soon as he grabbed it. In that position, Merida would have no time to divert the hit. She needed to think very fast. She wouldn't have time to strangle him either, but there was an equally lethal alternative.  _ I can't do this, I can't!  _ But the man wouldn’t give her time to think, the machete came towards her without hesitation.

She screamed as she stuck the pencil through the skinny man's eyeball, inserting it at least ten centimeters deep into the skull. Soon after, she started to shake violently, rolling to one side. Her hands were bathed in fresh blood. It was still warm. The clanking of the machete falling to the ground decreed the man's death.

_ I just killed someone _ , she could barely think straight. He was there, motionless. He had stopped breathing, his chest didn’t move. Yes, he was indeed dead.

Then she heard voices outside, making her get out of a daze. There was no time to feel bad, she could condemn herself later if she lived. With some difficulty, Merida dragged the body behind the desk and took the machete. Cautiously, she opened the shed door and peered outside. Everything looked clean.

However, as soon as she closed the door and turned to escape, she bumped into someone.

_ I’m dead. _

* * *

“It's show time!” Drago went to the cage accompanied by Eret.

Hiccup and Jack looked at him with hatred.

“What did you do to her?” Hiccup asked, even though a part of him was afraid to hear an answer.

“Don't worry, you'll have more fun than her.”

“What did you do?!” Jack insisted.

Drago just laughed.

“We were going to take one, but now, on second thought, better take the white dude too to watch. So everyone has some fun.”

The boys were still locked in, so Eret's only task was to open the cage and lead them back to the arena. Drago dragged Hiccup with him despite protests, to prepare him for combat. And in spite of countless previous attempts, Jack struggled unsuccessfully to loosen the plastic handcuffs. First, Merida and now, Hiccup too. It was the end. They’d all be dead before dawn.

“Come on.” Eret brushed up his shoulder hard, taking the lead.

What was the use of resisting, anyway? Jack followed Eret to the back of a truck. Had all that talk of watching Hiccup’s fight taken place just to distract him from another destination? Would he have to fight in the arena too? Or would they execute him right there?

“Okay, we don’t have much time.” Eret stopped suddenly and Jack bumped into his back.

“Huh?”

Eret took a knife from his belt.

“Turn around, I'll let you go.”

“You’ll what?!”

“Do you want to keep your hands tied? Okay, that’s up to you, but it would make our escape much easier.”

“No, of course I don't want to, but... What's going on?”

There was a snap of plastic breaking and Jack felt immediate relief, massaging his aching wrists.

"I hate this damn place," confessed Eret. “I was waiting for a decent group to stop by to get the fuck out.”

“What do you mean?”

“All the gladiators from before... They didn't stand a chance. But you’re tough. In fact, I found your friend escaping.”

“Merida!” Jack's eyes widened, surprised by the news. “Is she fine?”

“She is, I hid her. The other guy she faced is not that fine though…”

“For sure, he didn't even get half of what he deserved. Well, what do we have to do?”

Drago’s men started screaming in a frenzy, the fight had probably begun. Eret passed the knife he had used to Jack.

“You stay here and wait for my signal. Your friend should last the first  _ round _ . During the break, I can manage to bring him with me.”

Jack was confused.

“And what does this mean?”

“There are only two dead dudes in the first confrontation. For gladiators to last longer, you know. Then, they add one per round.”

“Man, this is fucked up.”

“Do you think I don't know?! I'm the only survivor to this day, did you forget already?”

Jack muttered an apology, impatient. But he was confident that his friend would make it.

“Drago's biggest mistake was thinking that, after all that, I would accept working for him without spite. The scars never go away.”

* * *

If that Eret guy expected her to wait obediently until the signal was given, he was very much mistaken. Merida was overcome with anger, hatred, revolt, and would act on her feelings. Those despicable creeps, she heard their excited laughter and howls, they must had been watching Hiccup fight for his life in that damned arena.

So they liked that, huh? Well, they were about to have their fun doubled.

Eret had given her the weapons that had been taken a few hours earlier, her bow, her axe, Hiccup's dagger, Jack's pistol and baseball bat. For her current task, she had chosen to take only her friend's bat. She wouldn't have the stomach to kill another person that day with her bare hands, but if fate so wished, something else could cause the death of those miserable people.

“Hey, what are you doing ...?” one of the henchmen guarding a truck far from the arena barely saw her approach and didn't even have time to complete the question thanks to a blow to the head.

She looked at him unconscious on the floor without mercy. He’d done a terrible job as a look-out, after all, she had been watching him unnoticed for an hour. That time had been enough to confirm the load the truck was carrying.

Merida didn’t know how many people had already been victims of that savagery, but today they’d have their justice.

–-X—

Hiccup dug the knife into the side of the zombie's head and the corpse fell at his feet, inert. His breathing was unsteady. After all, how was any of that pleasurable to watch? He only did it because he had no choice, he remembered how hesitant he’d been at the beginning of all the chaos. He didn't want to hurt anyone. What if there was still a conscious human being inside those decomposing bodies? Fortunately, he left that thought behind, otherwise, he probably wouldn't have lasted that long.

He wiped the sweat off his forehead with the back of his hand when he heard a shot. And another. Then another.

“But what...?”

A great movement started. The voices that once laughed and booed, now screamed in terror. Hiccup was static, not knowing what to do. The arena had no way out.

More shots and screams, the trucks were starting and he finally saw them. A horde of more than fifty undead invaded the territory. When one had the opportunity to exterminate the zombies one by one, it wasn’t such a difficult task, but in the case of a large band like that, the wisest thing to do was to run and pray.

For a brief moment, Hiccup was relieved to have the protection of the fence. His relief evaporated when a truck with several zombies clinging to it overturned the fence and opened the passage not only for Hiccup but for anything dead or alive.

“Hiccup! Here!” Jack shouted a few feet from him, crouching down from the shots, Eret on his heels.

“What's happening?” Hiccup reached them. He looked at Eret suspiciously. “Wait, is he our ‘friend’ now?”

“Yeah, something like that, I'll explain later. But we still don't know what happened. Someone released the dead, this place is going down! Let's get Merida and get out of here!”

“The south is bad!” Eret tried to make himself heard above the cacophony. “They have weapon depots scattered in cities across the south of the state!”

“Where did you leave Merida?”

Eret nodded, asking them to follow. Suddenly, one of them screamed. Hiccup had fallen on the grass, holding his leg.

“Hiccup, what are you doing?! We have to go!” Jack got nervous. Soon, he realized that was no stumble. “Shit!”

Hiccup had been hit by a bullet in the calf. Several feet from the three, a man was approaching, full of anger. It was Drago.

“You! I'll kill you!”

At that moment, Merida came out of the trees, panting and with a backpack that didn't belong to her on the back. She held her bow in an attack position and stared at them all, puzzled.

“Get him out of here!” Ordered Eret. “I'll take care of Drago!” He picked up his pistols and positioned himself. “Go! Go!”

With the help of his friends, Hiccup was brought to his feet. The three disappeared into the forest, a single thought in Jack's mind.

_ If they go south, we go north. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, they apparently can't get out of one problem without getting into another. And believe me, it can get worse. For those who were eager for the quartet to be complete, you'll enjoy what awaits you in the next chapter! Yes, that's what you're thinking. 
> 
> Well, the events of this chapter here will have consequences, huh? Not only did they wounded Hiccup, but Merida killed a person for the first time, it sure messes with someone's head.
> 
> Opinions? Suggestions? Feel free to comment below :)
> 
> Thank you very much for reading!


	5. Drastic Measure

**_Ohio_ **

It had been two days since the escape. Now, they spent most of the day walking, stopping to camp just before the end of the afternoon so that Merida could hunt something before dark. She and Jack had suggested they take it easy because of Hiccup's injured leg. However, he soon dismissed the idea.

“I'm fine. My leg is patched up, there is nothing else to do.”

The other two believed. It was a comforting thought, anyway. One less concern. But lies couldn’t be kept for too long, especially in recent times.

On the third day, as they were walking down the road, when the sun was high in the sky, Hiccup's lie brought him down. Literally.

“Hiccup!” Merida ran to the fallen boy, kneeling on the asphalt.

Jack dropped the group's backpack on the floor and joined them.

“What's it? He collapsed out of nowhere?”

Hiccup grunted.

“I'm fine…”

“Bullshit!” Scolded Merida. “It's your leg, isn't it? We asked yesterday and you said you were feeling better, you didn't let me see the wound!”

Although Hiccup tried to stop her at first, Merida managed to lift the hem of his trousers to assess the situation of the injury. Beneath the bloody improvised bandage was an ugly, purulent wound.

"Damn it, man..." Jack said almost in a whisper, alarmed.

“I can't believe it... You... Look at this infection! Why didn't you tell us? This is much worse than two days ago!” Merida said, livid.

“I thought we would find some alcohol or first aid supplies before... Before the situation got out of hand.”

Jack sighed in frustration as Merida pinched the bridge of her nose in exasperation.

“I want to kill you! Oh boy, I really do…” the redhead said.

"Maybe the infection will do that before you get the chance," Hiccup replied.

“What?! Do you think this is funny? Don't you test me!”

Jack intervened before it got any worse.

“He's burning with fever, he's not making any sense. We need to take him some place else... He is unable to go on right now.”

Merida laughed scornfully.

“That is quite clear.”

Considering that walking around with someone sick would be of little use, Jack went looking for a suitable place to spend the night. Merida watched over Hiccup, attentive to the surroundings, one hand holding the bow and the other ready to pull an arrow from the quiver.

“Merida…” Hiccup started after a while.

"We’re not talking," she decreed, determined.

Hiccup took a deep breath, too tired to argue.

About an hour later, Jack returned with good news. He had found an old ranger's hut less than a mile away. He had had to get rid of the former occupant, who had already been transformed into a walking corpse long before his arrival, but other than that, the area seemed quite safe. They went there without wasting time.

Inside there was only a single bed, on which Jack and Merida placed Hiccup as soon as they entered. Within minutes, he was sound asleep. Merida replaced the precarious bandage with a cleaner piece of cloth.

"Let's see if we can find anything in here," she suggested.

As it was an one-room cabin, the search was quick. Jack found some blankets and uniforms in the closet. Merida came across some empty medicine bottles in a small cabinet near the fireplace. In addition, there was a large map spread over one of the walls, containing information about the region.

A few hours later, Merida went hunting and came back with a fat squirrel, which they cooked on the wood stove that still had some fuel in it. They hoped that by this time Hiccup would be somewhat better and hungry, however, he was barely able to eat.

At night, Merida approached Jack, who was watching through the window.

“His fever simply doesn't go away. It couldn't have come to that, he's not doing well.”

"I know." He looked over his shoulder at where Hiccup slept.

“We need medicine. Or rather, antibiotics. The problem is where to get it. Now, there's no time to waste, Jack.”

“Wait a second.”

Jack got up and took something from the table. It was the map they found earlier.

"Good idea," said Merida. “Let's see... Looks like we're close to Cleveland.”

“It's a very big city, there would definitely be something there.”

“The only thing, however, is that we don't know if the city was evacuated before the virus broke out there. I've always avoided cities like that, I don't know how to get through.”

“Leave it to me, I'll go. You stay here looking after him.” Jack said firmly.

“And do you happen to know how to pass through an infested metropolis?” She asked, somewhat skeptical.

Jack shrugged.

“I have my ways. And, as you said before, we don't know if it was evacuated.”

Merida thought it best not to argue, it was the best chance they had anyway.

“Okay, do it then. But you can't go without a plan in mind. There are a few things you need to know.”

“Such as?”

“Well, starting with the basics. That is, look first at pharmacies or small clinics. Preferably avoid hospitals, as they are not safe at all.”

“I know, hospitals were the first place people thought of when the disease started to spread. They must be full of dead dudes.”

“Exactly.”

“But... What if I have no option?”

“If it’s the only solution, then you must be prepared to fight. You saw how bad the infection is.” Merida peered at Hiccup out of the corner of her eye. “It might be his only chance.”

It was decided. If they had any hope of saving Hiccup, they needed to acquire antibiotics as soon as possible. When morning came, Jack left with his pistol, baseball bat and some water. It would be a long day.

* * *

From where they were to town, it took about an hour on foot, but by picking up his pace, Jack managed to make the journey in forty-something minutes. He ignored the rare zombies that came his way, they must have been ancient corpses, after all, they were very slow — only fresh dead were able to run. And right there in front of him was Cleveland. There were several abandoned cars on the road, but nothing that truly blocked the way. The entrance was deserted. Cautiously, he entered the city, the bat being held tightly in his right hand.

At first, he wasn't very lucky. Everything seemed to have been overturned and plundered. He walked for another hour and found a clinic, but it was already empty. The same happened in the next two pharmacies. When he noticed a discreet and apparently intact small market, he decided to take a look. He was unlikely to find the medicine they needed, but he might find something of interest.

As the door was locked, he broke one of the windows, unlocked it and went inside. Behind the counter, there was a backpack. It contained several superfluous items, nothing worthy of taking, but the backpack itself was good. In it, he put some canned goods and any other things that he thought would be of use. At least the trip had already been worth something, but he still had a more important goal to accomplish.

When he left the store, he heard a guttural noise. An undead was just a few feet from him, his putrid gray skin seemed to come off the bones. In a quick movement, Jack hit him right on the head, popping his skull and making him fall on a car. It was at that moment that an alarm went off.

“Shit!” even in an almost empty city, a noise like that could only mean trouble.

And it wasn't so empty, after all. The zombies began to leave their hiding places, from abandoned buildings to overturned cars, and invaded the street. He didn’t want to stay there to see the crowd that would gather, however, he didn't have time to run. Two zombies surprised him from behind and knocked him down. The backpack plus the bodies weighed and hindered his movements. He reached out with one hand to reach for the pistol in the waistband of his trousers, while using the other to give momentum and try to turn the body upwards. He heard teeth chattering inches from his ear, hurrying him up. Finally, he took the gun and now with both hands on the asphalt, he was able to give the impulse he needed, throwing the corpses aside. As soon as he stood up, he shot them both in the head.

His fall had caused an untimely delay. The zombies came from all sides and started to surround him. He scanned the environment quickly, thinking of a way out. He ended up running into the market again. Inside, he closed the window and blocked it with a shelf, since it was fragile. It wasn't much, but it would slow them down. The other windows and the door would hold on for a while. In fact, there should be a backside door, right? Jack went through the staff room and found the alternate exit. The door was metalic with a security bar. He pushed the bar down without hesitation and forced the door.

“What the... fuck!” the alley in which that exit resulted housed a dozen zombies and more were coming to join them. There would be no way to pass.

He closed the door angrily.

“Think, Jack, think!” He tapped his forehead as if that would encourage him to find a solution.

Then he heard a sound from upstairs. They couldn't have got in there, could they? It had to be something else. Jack went up the stairs next to the employees' bathroom and found a dead man lying on the floor of the administration office, stretching towards him. He had a broken jaw and an opening at the top of his head, an old shotgun at his side. Apparently, it was an unsuccessful suicide and the man eventually succumbed to the injury. The heavy metal file cabinet had fallen on his legs, making it impossible for him to get up. Poor guy. However, the detail that really caught Jack's eye was a discreet ladder in the corner of the room, which led to a small metal door on the ceiling.  _ The ceiling, that's it! _ , he hurried to his new chance, only to find it locked. He was frustrated only for a second, he still had some hope. He rummaged through the desk drawers, finding lots of notes and bills to pay, but no keys.

The zombie made an animalistic noise, his nails scratching the floor and Jack remembered his presence there. With no time for subtleties, Jack smashed the man's half-rotten head with his bat and searched his body. Attached to the leather belt was a bunch of keys.

“Which one...?” He looked at the options in despair.

He heard the sound of glass shattering downstairs and knew his time was almost up. He returned to the ladder and began to try key after key.

“No... No... Wrong... Damn! No... Too small…”

His despair multiplied when the first corpse appeared at the door, dark, slimy blood dripping from her mouth, her arms raised and ready to grab him.

“Another one... Crap, it has to be this one!”

The zombies squeezed disorganized through the office door. Jack felt one of them grab his ankle when he finally managed to turn the key and open the door. Kicking the undead with the other foot, Jack took advantage of the impulse to climb up and out of that hell, closing the narrow access immediately afterwards.

As breathless as ever, he propped himself up on his knees and tried to catch his breath. It had been very, very close. When Jack looked ahead and saw what was about one thousand feet away from the market, he felt like laughing.

It was a goddamn hospital, of course.

* * *

His eyelids were heavy and his mouth was dry. His whole body ached, but his leg was the worst, it pulsed and tingled incessantly. When he found the courage to open his eyes, he noticed Merida sitting on a chair beside his bed, carving a stick with the cut of her dagger.

"Oh, hi," Merida looked at him impassively. “You slept a lot, huh?”

“How long?”

“About fifteen hours or so.”

“What?!”

Merida laughed at his astonishment.

“Try not to move too much, Jack still hasn't returned with the meds.”

“What? He left? It's too risky, I shouldn't…” Hiccup rose to protest, but his body had other plans. He fell like a stone back on the bed.

Merida left the carving aside and knelt by the bed.

“Hey, I meant it. Don't try too hard, okay?”

Defeated, he tried to relax his stiff muscles a little. After all, being tense would only make the pain worse.

“So, you’re talking to me again?” Hiccup looked at her, more optimistically.

Merida smirked.

“Yeah, for now. But what you did was very stupid, I hope you know that.”

“Now I know... What were you doing?”

“Oh, that?” Merida took the long stick she carved. “I was trying to make an arrow, just in case mine ran out. Not great, but if it works it will do.”

He nodded, understanding. Damn, his head throbbed.

"Sorry again about Toothless," Merida was saying with her head down. “I didn't mean to hurt him.”

“I already said, Merida, you saved him. I'm grateful.”

“But now he's out there, without us to feed or protect him!”

“He's still a dog, instincts will speak louder. He will make it, I believe that we will see him again.”

Merida agreed, even though she was less hopeful. She wouldn't want to be deluded, being realistic was more prudent.

“Merida?”

“Yeah?”

“Can I ask you something? I mean, don’t get angry.”

The redhead frowned, suspicious.

“There is no way I can guarantee it without knowing what this is about.”

“Well, um... Okay, I'll just say it. Merida, why are you here?”

She blinked a few times without understanding.

“What do you mean?”

“The thing is that you have no obligation to us. You know, when you first came, the first thing I thought was: She survived all this time alone. That's her style. Later, when you let us accompany you, I was surprised. But I know that all of these setbacks were not in your plans when you agreed to this. What I mean is... We are wasting your time. I’ll understand if you want to leave.”

When Hiccup finished speaking, he was out of breath. Apparently, even talking a lot tired him now. Meanwhile, Merida looked at him still and reflective. This started to worry him.

”Listen, don't get me wrong, I want you to stay. But it has to be something you want, too.”

Merida cleared her throat, studying the homemade arrow in her hand.

“I... I want to stay. I mean, you helped me when I got hurt, the least I can do is take care of you when you're sick.” The girl gave a half smile. “In fact, you should eat, I'll get the leftovers from yesterday.” She got up and went to the stove.

Despite the explanation, Hiccup knew that this was not the real reason. If Merida owed him anything, she had paid her debt when she saved his life in that old barn. The truth was, maybe she just missed the company of other people. Maybe she didn't like solitude as much as she tried to show.

* * *

It took longer than he anticipated to approach the hospital. After all, Jack couldn't go down without attracting the whole pack. It took a lot of courage to jump from one building to the next. On the first jump, he almost gave up, but pushed back the hesitation and went ahead. The second jump was easier. When he already had five buildings between him and the zombies, he returned to the ground. It didn't look like he was being followed, but caution was never too much, so he took the long way, through the narrower, more empty streets. He had to be careful not to get lost, but luckily the hospital was one of the biggest buildings in that neighborhood, and he could see it as he walked.

The hospital area looked quiet, however, the doors were locked and this time there appeared to be no undead worker nearby with a convenient set of keys strapped to their belt. But Jack was far from giving up. He went around the building and found the emergency staircase, or rather the ramps. From the ground floor to the fifth and top floor, there was a circular ramp, designed to accommodate wheelchairs. For some reason, the windows on the first two floors had a large "x" painted in blue paint over them. That could only be bad, of course, so Jack avoided those floors. The third floor door didn't budge at all, but the windows looked vulnerable enough. With all the calm in the world, Jack climbed onto the railing of the ramp, concentrating to steady himself. A fall from there would at least result in a broken leg, and in the worst scenario... Yeah, he’d rather not think about it now. He had to reach the nearest window sill.

_ I can do this, I know I can _ , he took a deep breath and visualized the movement in his head. He just needed to stretch his body enough.  _ One... Two... Go!  _ In an abrupt move, Jack reached out and grabbed the sill with one hand. His grip was slipping, but he quickly used his other hand to hold on and, with the strength of his arms, managed to get up and sit on the window parapet. He smiled, somewhat proud of himself. The window lock didn’t give in at first, but with some insistence, Jack opened it and slid through. He was inside now.

Fatigue was beginning to overtake him, Jack realized. He wiped his sweat-covered face on his sleeve and resumed his search. He had already come this far, had he not? He opened the door to the first room he saw, however, it was very dark inside. He noticed the switch next to the door and hit it more out of habit than anything else. At that moment, he was surprised: there was still energy there.

“How is it possible...?” He whispered.

Suddenly, he heard the sound of a trigger being pulled right behind him. He was screwed.

“T-Turn around! And please, don't make any sudden movements!”

Jack raised his hands to his head and turned slowly to face the stranger. She was a girl a little taller than Merida and with long, straight blond hair falling over her shoulders and face. She had a 38-caliber revolver she held with both hands and shivered as if she had never held a gun in her life.

“Your gun, p-pass it over!” She ordered. “The bat too!”

Slowly, Jack obeyed her orders and kicked all his weapons in her direction.

“Hey, can't we talk?” proposed Jack.

“Who else is with you?” the girl ignored what he said.

“Nobody, I came alone. I don't want any trouble, I just need some medicine, my friend is sick.”

She looked at him doubtfully.

“How do I know if what you say is true?”

“Well... Look, I can give you food in return, I got some canned goods just now.” He took the backpack off his shoulders and started to open it.

“I said no sudden movements!” She yelled, tightening her grip on the gun.

Jack stopped and gulped. The girl was very nervous, she could do something stupid if she wasn't more careful. He calmly removed a can of food from his backpack and held it up, showing it to her.

“See? I'm serious.”

“Your head... It's bleeding.”

“Is it?” Jack put his hand on his forehead and noticed that she was right, there was a cut there. The sleeve he had used to wipe the sweat was also stained with blood. “Damn, I didn't notice. It must have been when those two zombies took me down.”

“Were you bitten?” She opened her eyes wide.

“No, not that. I managed to defend myself.”

The girl was still for a while, thinking. Then she crouched down to collect Jack's weapons. When she was finished, she got to her feet and lowered the revolver slightly.

“Come on, come with me. I will help you with that wound. But if you try anything, I... I... Well, you're not going to like it.”

That being the most reasonable option, Jack followed her into another room on the same floor. It was a small little room that used to be for pediatric patients — a themed wallpaper covered all four sides — and it was clean, containing a table, three chairs and a stretcher.

"Sit down," she said, heading to a cabinet beside the stretcher. “As I said, no funny stuff.”

Jack settled himself on the green upholstered chair and dropped his backpack on the table. The girl returned with a patch, cotton and antiseptic, and glared at his backpack.

“What is it?” he didn't understand at first. “Oh, I get it. Not very polite of me.”

“I think, more than that, it is unhygienic. This backpack is filthy.”

Jack laughed at that complaint. In those days, it was unusual to complain about hygiene, after all, it was a luxury that few could afford. She sat in the chair next to him and started working on the injury.

_ She's so exposed _ , Jack thought, looking at the blonde's concentrated expression. If he really wanted to, he could easily pin her down and get his things back, she had her guard down. But he didn't want to do that. It was extremely rare to find someone like that girl those days.

“What's your name?” Jack asked before he could help himself.

She looked at him, uncertain.

“Why?”

“No reason, I just wanted to know.”

"Tell me yours, then," she replied, as if she always needed to be one step ahead.

He felt like laughing once again. If he really wanted to attack her, the last thing he’d want to do before that was to find out her name. But he would play by her rules.

“Jack Frost.”

"My name is... Rapunzel," she said. “Rapunzel Corona.”

“You live here, don't you?”

Rapunzel seemed to be uneasy about the direction the conversation was heading and he realized that.

"Listen," Jack started again. “I just want some antibiotics, I have a friend out of town and he's very sick. Do you have something like this around here?”

When she finished, Rapunzel went to put things back in the cabinet. When closing the white little door, she remained there without moving as she had done a few minutes before. She was probably thinking to herself again.

"Yes, I do," she said at last. “But you know that antibiotics don't work against bites of these... things, right?”

“Of course, but it's another type of wound. He has a fever because of the infection.”

Rapunzel closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

“I believe you. I know I didn't give you the best welcome when you showed up, but I think you understand, right? I'm not like that, and…”

“It's all right.” Jack gave a calm smile. “You did well not to trust me at first, it would be very stupid if you did. When was the last time you saw another person?”

“Several months ago, I think last fall. It was on the day that everyone left.”

“And why did you stay?”

“I... I couldn't go. Anyway, there are many supplies in this hospital, the hydraulic system is intact and I have a power generator that still works.”

Jack raised an eyebrow.

“That sure sounds great.”

“Right? I figured my chances would be better here. It's kind of lonely at times, but it's not that bad.”

For a moment, Jack assessed Rapunzel's beautiful and a bit flushed face. There were no marks left by the horrors of the current reality, of daily suffering. She was healthy, well fed, her clothes were clean as if they were freshly washed. Her long blond hair was shiny and combed. She didn't seem real. It was like he went back in time or maybe was dreaming.

"That expression of yours..." said Rapunzel. “I know what you're thinking. You are worried about your friend, right? You need to go back soon.”

He looked away and cleared his throat.

“Erm, that's right.”

“I have something that will help you. I mean, besides the medicine. Please wait here.”

While waiting, Jack walked around the room, looking at everything closely. As he passed a mirror, he examined Rapunzel's work on his wound. It was very well done, she certainly had practice in that, which led him to think about what she did before the end of the world. She was way too young to be a doctor or something like that, but he bet she knew her way around that sort of thing. Maybe she learned from her parents? There were so many possibilities... The second thing he noticed in the mirror was his appearance. Good Lord, how long had it been since he last saw his reflection? He was so different. His face was so thin, dirty, in addition to that strange white hair that he would probably never get used to. It seemed that the old Jack had never existed, almost nothing was left of him. And the chances were that one day, his old self would disappear completely.

He feared a little about the kind of person he might become.

“Here it is”, Rapunzel returned with a surprise: a green bicycle. “I was keeping it, in case of an emergency, but I think you are in need more than me. And I put the medicine with a clean syringe, in addition to some more supplies, in the front basket.” She indicated two paper bags in the basket, one very small and one large and abundant.

“Wow,” He was a little stunned. “That's a lot, damn it, I... Thanks.”

She accompanied him to the door that he noticed that was locked before.

"Good luck, Jack Frost," she said and gave a sincere and kind smile.

”Thank you so much for…” Jack pointed to the bandage in his head, then held the handlebars of the bicycle, not knowing what he was thanking for. “Well, for everything.”

He was already making his way down the ramp, but Rapunzel spoke again.

“Jack, let me say one more thing before you go.”

* * *

The bike gave him an obvious advantage, he could easily outrun the zombies, and he also had speed. Cycling as fast as he could, Jack had a sense of accomplishment as he felt the wind blow against his face. Hiccup would be fine, he was sure of that, Merida would have taken good care of him. Furthermore, he had known perhaps the last pure person in that shattered country. For some reason, that meeting had given him hope. He might not be the same anymore, but that girl still was. All was not lost.

When he left the city and realized that he was approaching his destination, Jack started to get agitated. It was so close. Inside the forest, the bicycle was no longer so useful, so Jack hid it in a bush before entering it. When he saw the hut with smoke coming out of the chimney, he couldn't help himself and ran over there.

“Guys, I did it!” he said excited. “I brought... the…”

However, no one heard him. He was all alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you 'e all well and taking care.
> 
> When I was browsing through my files here, I noticed that I had already made a summary for the next 10 chapters, wow! I ended up making some changes to this one, but I think it's going in a nice direction.
> 
> Thank you for reading, see you soon :)


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